Showing posts with label Flowers and Plants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Flowers and Plants. Show all posts

Thursday, March 30, 2023

Set in Stone 2, flowers in a stone planter, mixed media


"Set in Stone, 2"
© Fawn McNeill 2020


Close-up view in warm lighting.


Flowers jumping off the page! Literally!  This is a wonderful combination of color, pattern, and elements.  It is like a song with a beautiful melody.  Even the colors harmonize. Very few compositions come together so well, but this was the second one. The first was a learning experiment, and it was almost as lovely! 

I created this just after closing my gallery from the pandemic, and now it is framed in a wonderful gold frame that sets it off more than I could have hoped for!

Some of the flowers are actually charms that created nice cast shadows. This gives an extra emphasis on the painted shadows. Other flowers have beads in the middle that catch the light as you view the painting from different angles.

If you can't tell I am very partial to this piece!

~ Exclusive Art
~ Original Mixed Media on Hardboard
~ Professional Materials
~ 11 x 14 inches
~ Elaborate Gold Frame (see below)
~ $575.00 (Free Shipping in the US)

Sale pending

Email me for availability at fawn@fawnsartstudio.com



Cool lighting


Warm lighting


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Friday, January 27, 2023

Streams of Joy, knife painting


"Streams of Joy"
© Fawn McNeill 2020

From a demonstration painting originally. It is a little harder for students to get the hang of when you take the brushes away! Too much fun!

I added extra details and some butterflies later to finish it out.  

ENJOY!

  • Original Knife Painting
  • Acrylic on canvas
  • 11 x 14 in
  • Ready to frame
  • Not Available
Click here to see more

Email me at fawn@fawnsartstudio.com for information on having something similar created.
Custom orders are priced by size.





 

Thursday, January 26, 2023

Cliffside, ocean, trees


"Cliffside"
© Fawn McNeill 2019

Never posted this one, not sure how I overlooked it! 
Playing with texture, I added gel medium with a knife to create a buildup for tiny branches and bark on the trunks. When that dried it was interesting to add colors that enhanced the effect.
Enjoyed the whole process!

  • Original mixed media
  • 8 x 10 inches
  • Custom frame
  • Professional materials
  • Sold
Click here to see more








 ge.

Friday, November 11, 2022

Breakthrough, water lilies, mixed media


"Breakthrough"




The young flower was coming up under a lily pad. Got some interesting photos of this area while I was out working En Plein Aire (on location).  Originally, I just wanted to capture the warm morning sunlight chasing the cool shadows away.  It made the many shades of green into a feast for the eyes!  But I got carried away with the impasto, hidden critters, and beads. I also added glitter paint here and there for a little extra shimmer in the water.

The impasto effects are made with heavy gesso and a palette knife. Some of the lily pads, lotus flowers, and the little stick that the snail is on are built up with it.

 The baby turtle is actually a metal charm that I primed with a primer that is made for use on metal (so the paint doesn't peel off).  He was just too shiny to leave unpainted!  I wanted him to blend in more.

The dragonfly is made from paper clay, which is an air-dry clay with paper fibers added to it for strength. I used a mold to make it. Paper clay is wonderful to work with for mixed media projects. It receives acrylic paint well. I added iridescent paint into hues of blue for his color.

The snail is made from a resin mold that a friend gave to me. Resin molds are harder to work with and are not easily painted over.  I used a special primer (different than the one used on metal) to get the snail to receive the acrylic paint. Again, I wanted to get him to blend in.

Gel medium (matte) and acrylic modeling paste were used for adhesives. (I use professional-grade primers, paints, mediums, and sealers for longevity.)

~ Exclusive Art
~ Original Mixed Media
~ Professional Materials
~ 8 x 10 inches
~ Elaborate Gold Frame (see below)
~ $275.00 (Free Shipping in the US)

Email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com




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Monday, October 10, 2022

Sunlit, orange dahlia, fall colors

 


"Sunlit"
© Fawn McNeill 2014

Created this as a demonstration paintings while teaching an art class a few years ago. I just made it available.  When I do a painting for an art class I try to keep it very simple so we can get done with most of it in a couple of  lessons.  I often go back later and finish up the details, add extras, and sign it. I kept the simplicity this time. I love that, and the contrasting colors.  

~ Original Demo Painting
~ 11 x 14 inches
~ Acrylic on stretched canvas
~ Ready to frame
~ $125.00 (free shipping in the US)


Email me at: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com for availability







Sunday, August 07, 2022

A Rose is a Rose



"A Rose is a Rose"
© Fawn McNeill 2007


 



While remodeling and organizing things this past year, I am also reframing some of the gems I find in storage.  

This is one of my Daily Paintings, back when I challenged myself to create about 5 paintings a week! Most of them were small, and many were quite impressionistic because I did them en Plein Air (on location) or alla prima (all in one session). This painting took a couple of sessions as I took my time to add more detail to it.

I love this frame. It reminds me of something you might see in a museum.  A quality frame can set off a painting, complimenting and enhancing it.  A frame also helps protect the artwork. This is essential if you have art created on paper or photos that you want to preserve.  These should be framed behind glass, with acid-free matting to slow down the aging process and to keep the art or prints off of the glass.  

  • Original art
  • Acrylic on hardboard
  • 5 x 7 inches
  • Elaborate gold frame (has a greenish tint to it)
  • SOLD


Email me at: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com for availability

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Friday, July 29, 2022

Tree Tops, cardinals, impressionism


"Tree Tops"

Applied the paint quickly in this painting, for an impressionistic feel.  Actually, I created it years ago but never finished it. I just pulled it out of storage and added the cardinals and more details in the trees and bushes.  

What inspired me?  Those bright yellow greens contrasted by the deep dark shadows.  I went home and did some small thumbnail sketches so I could capture it later when I had time to paint it!

ENJOY!

  • Original art
  • Acrylic on hardboard
  • 8 x 10 inches
  • Elaborate gold frame (see below)
  • $375.00 (free shipping in USA)
Click here to purchase

 





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Thursday, June 23, 2022

Busy Morning, mixed media, colorful flowers, insects, and a frog


"Busy Morning"



    What can I say? I certainly got carried away with this little piece! 
    Honestly, I wasn't happy with it at first. It started as a palette knife painting. Nothing seemed to be working out.  I added more knife work and even used paper clay to build up the flowers.  (Paper clay is an air-dry clay that has paper fibers in it.  It dries stronger and is better suited for mixed media projects than regular air-drying clay.) But I still was not liking it. 
     Carol Jones (https://www.facebook.com/CarolsTreasuresFromTheSea), a close friend of mine, sent this resin frog as a gift with my order of seahorses and starfish. It made me smile each time I looked at it.  I moved it all around to see if it would look good and where I might add it.  It cracked me up! That got things moving.  I added some charms and then purchased some molds to make insects and flowers out of paper clay.  Thought I would use resin at first, but the paper clay worked so well I just kept making more.  
    The advantage of paper-clay is that I can paint it any color I want.  Resin stays as it was created, so you have to get the colors right when you make the mold.
    Painting the molded insects and flowers was time-consuming but enjoyable.  Each piece gave me a new idea of what else I wanted to add. I had to make myself stop because it was too much fun to keep adding more! 
    This breaks so many rules on so many levels!  So I went back and added shadows to the bottom and the left side of the painting (to tone it down some) and also to keep the viewer's eye in the painting.  I also used a solid color scheme of complementary colors throughout the project to harmonize the painting. 
    To top it all off, I made a shadow box frame for it and sealed it behind glass.  This added to the whole notion of a child capturing a frog in a jar!  So far everyone that sees it starts laughing.  That makes it all worth so much more!

ENJOY!

  • Original art
  • Mixed media
  • 8 x 10 inches
  • Gold shadow box frame (see below)
  • SOLD









 

Wednesday, June 22, 2022

Wedding Roses, white roses

 

"Wedding Roses" 
© Fawn McNeill 2007

Here is another one I just reframed.  I think this fancy frame is perfect for it!  


This is another one of Kathy Papasso's frames that have been on sale at the Okeechobee Arts and Cultural Alliance.  Her husband donated her equipment and frames (and many of her paintings) after she passed away from COVID last year.

It brings me comfort and joy to use her frames.

  • Original art
  • Acrylic on hardboard
  • 5 x 7 inches
  • Elaborate silver frame
  • $125.00 (Free shipping in USA)


Email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

Enchanted Morning, water lilies, great egret



"Enchanted Morning" 
© Fawn McNeill 2010

Just reframed this little favorite painting.  I did it on location (en plein air) quite a few years ago at White City Park, in Fort Pierce, Florida.  White City Park has always been one of the best places to do a paint-out.  It is hard to decide where to set up my easel!  By the river or near a pond, it doesn't matter because every painting turns out amazing.  

This is one of Kathy Papasso's frames I purchased at the Okeechobee Arts and Cultural Alliance.  Her husband donated her equipment and frames (and many of her paintings) after she passed away from COVID last year.

It brings me comfort and joy to use her frames.

Enjoy!

  • Original Plein Air painting
  • Acrylic on canvas
  • 8 x 10 inches
  • Elaborate gold frame
  • $325.00 (free shipping in the USA)


Email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com



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Thursday, January 27, 2022

Reaching Up, abstract iris, knife painting


"Reaching Up"
© Fawn McNeill 2010

Fourth in a series that started with a little watercolor painting inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe. I just got it out of storage and cleaned it up!

Original acrylic
Knife painting
16 x 20 inches
Ready to frame
$270.00 (free shipping in the US)


Please email me at: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com for availability, or to have something similar created in a size you prefer.

 

Monday, October 25, 2021

Victorian mural, woman, palms, flowers and egrets


Approximately 10 by 11 feet, located above the walkway cabinets across from 
the kitchen in a beautiful home.

(Sorry for the glare on the image, but there was no way to get a good capture.) 


This image has less glare


Finished this today! What a challenging project this was.  Totally out of my comfort zone, in subject matter, style, and the level of danger!  Really stretched me.
I got the wall primed in late August, and then got sick with COVID the next day.  It was 3 weeks before I got the first lay in started, and I wasn't handling the after affects very well at all.  Scroll down for the in-progress images...


I had to climb up onto the counter top and then climb up on top of the cabinet via the opened door and bottom shelf on the far right.  There was about 10 inches to stand on to reach up, so there was very little space for moving around.  Standing on a small ledge and reaching up was quite exhausting, especially since I was easily tired and still week from being so sick.

 I used a roller to prime it, and trimmed it with large brushes, but it was too difficult to use the roller to get the blending of the colors, so I used large brushes for that.  I had a couple of scary moments with trying to climb up or down: my hand slipped in the small space between the cabinet and the wall (my fingers just fit enough to pull my self up) on the top right side. Thought I was going to have to leave early to change my pants.


I searched rental shops and online for some kind of split scaffold.  I lost sleep over trying to figure out how to build something to make things safer.  I even asked the Good LORD to help me put something together.  This small scaffold idea came to me after I prayed about it! 
 I used clamps to make it easy to move and take apart, but still keep it sturdy.  Climbing up and down was still dangerous, and my body ached in more places than I could have imagined. I expected some soreness in my shoulders, hands, wrists, knees, and legs, but I did not know your ribs in your back had muscles that could get sore! Even my bottom hurt.  (I had already been achy in my joints from COVID, so I wasn't sure how much was from the awkward positions and how much was from the after affects.) Needless to say, I only put in a couple of hours at a time the first week, and I didn't go every day.


In the image below you can get a better look at the way I put two 1 x 4 boards together for each leg to stabilize it, and I made a bracer bar on the top and the bottom of the legs. I screwed that whole base part together. I made the top brace equal to the length of the plywood so I could clamp the base to the platform. I could slide the whole thing down as I moved to the right of the mural.

You can also see that I found an extension ladder that was perfect for this project - I was so excited about that!  So much safer.
I did put drop cloths on the whole length of the counter and the floor, which was a good thing when my bucket of dirty water went over board!  Oh, and my phone bit the dust on another day, cracked the screen protector.

Once I got to feeling stronger, I stayed for longer periods of time and started making good progress.  Staying for 4 to 5 hours each session sped the process up.  It was a total of five and a half weeks from when I actually started painting, but just over two months if you count the time I was quarantined.  

I am so proud of myself for sticking with it and finishing it up!  There were some serious doubts! 

Let me know what you think!
 

Thursday, October 07, 2021

Lovely Ladies, flowers, mixed media




"Lovely Ladies"

Normally I create a painting and then put it in a complimenting frame.  But this painting was a little backward.  I had this amazing custom frame that belonged to a dear friend that passed away, so I wanted something special that looked fantastic with it.  (See below.)

Honestly, it was too elaborate for most of my country and wildlife paintings until I tried it on this painting with the pretty yellow flowers, it looked like it might work. 

 I painted a few more flowers in key places (and let it dry) before moving some charms and gems around on it.  I tried different pieces. They looked okay, but I wasn't satisfied.    I wanted something demanding that stood out and grabbed my attention.  That way the frame would enhance the artwork and not take away from it.    

I found some earrings, broaches, and pendants at a thrift store within the next week, and I knew that the gorgeous red flower would be perfect for this project! I added the sparkly white flowers, some beads, and the pretty butterfly for balance. I thought it all came together nicely.  The digital image doesn't do it justice.  The way the light hits it at different angles is truly delightful.

Custom frames are quite expensive, but I love it.  This is a tribute to my dear friend, Deborah Flowers, who had exquisite taste.

Mixed Media
8 x 10 inches
Elaborate custom frame
$295.00 (includes shipping)

Please email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com










Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Near The Window, mixed media flowers

 


"Near The Window"

Nice little mixed media painting. I only added a few beads this time.  Wanted to keep it simple but then I put it in a beautiful fancy frame (see below.) Really sets it off.

Thanks for looking!

Mixed media
5 x 7 inches
Custom frame
$85.00 
Please email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com



Morning Path, knife painting

 


"Morning Path"
© Fawn McNeill 2021

The plants lit up when the sun hit them just right. The orange and yellow really caught my eye along this pathway. I took lots of photos. There were birds and wildlife greeting me at every turn!

I updated this little gem with a couple of palms, a bird, and a little bunny.  I also put it in this custom frame, which I painted with a lacy gold trim.  I love it!

Enjoy!

~ Acrylic on hardboard
~ Original palette knife painting
~ 5 x 7 inches 
~ Unique custom frame (see below)
~ $155.00 (free shipping in US)




                                             


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Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Spring Showers, arrowhead plant, swamp, mixed media


"Spring Showers"



Fun little knife painting that was a study of this water plant.  I found it a couple of months ago while going through some things in storage.  Thought I should finish it up and add some bling! 

I was thinking about the winter colors of oranges and reds giving way to lime greens and all the bugs coming out as the flowers start to bloom. I darkened the background and added some blues to symbolize rain, then added more texture with acrylic modeling paste to make the leaves jump out more.  I also added charms and beads to emphasize the ideas of spring. They catch the light at different angles.






  
About this Painting:

Mixed media 
6 x 6 inches
custom wood frame (see below)
$185.00 (includes shipping in the USA) 



Love the classy wood frame, which added the finishing touch. 

Hint: frames can really set off a picture, or kill it.  They also protect the artwork from damage over the years.  Look for something that enhances the art or brings out the colors first, and then something that also goes with your décor.